The Performance: overview of the SQA Higher Drama practical coursework
An overview of the SQA Higher Drama performance coursework, worth 60 marks: the two sections (preparation for performance and the performance), the choice of an acting or production role, how it is assessed on the use and control of skills, and how to prepare.
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The Performance is the practical coursework of SQA Higher Drama and the larger of the two course components, worth 60 marks. You present an acting or production role to an audience across two sections. This page maps the assessment and links to the detailed skills pages.
What this coursework assesses
Preparation for performance (10 marks). Explaining and justifying the choices you have made to prepare your role and the response you intend from the audience.
The performance (50 marks). The live presentation of your chosen role, assessed on the deliberate use and control of skills to communicate, sustained from start to finish.
You choose one role: acting (voice, movement, characterisation, response to others) or a production role such as directing (concept, blocking, proxemics) or a design role (set, lighting, sound, costume, make-up or props).
Where the skills are covered
This page is an overview; the skills you apply are detailed elsewhere on the site:
- Acting: see voice and movement, and characterisation and acting (in the drama skills module).
- Directing and design: see directing a production, and the design roles (in the production skills module).
- Interpreting the text: see text, genre, form and style.
How to prepare for the performance
- Choose a role and material. Pick the role that suits your strengths and select suitable material, guided by the recommended text list and your teacher.
- Make justified choices. Build a character or form a concept or design plan, justified from the text.
- Document the preparation. Record your choices and the intended audience response for the preparation section.
- Rehearse for control. Rehearse until your choices are deliberate, controlled and sustained in live performance.
For the official course specification
The SQA publishes the full Higher Drama course specification, the performance assessment task, the recommended text list, and coursework guidance at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification, because the performance structure and recommended text list were updated for 2025-26.
Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Drama Course Overview — SQA (2025)
- SQA Higher Drama Performance Assessment Task — SQA (2025)